2023-24 Regular Season, Game 65: Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers (Postgame)

The Hurricanes hosted the Rangers on Tuesday night for the rubber match of their three-game regular-season series. After splitting the two meetings at Madison Square Garden, the Canes looked to draw closer to the Rangers by winning the season series. The big news before the game was the impending debut of Jake Guentzel, who the team acquired on Thursday before the trade deadline. Bringing his playoff pedigree to Raleigh, hopes haven't been higher amongst the fans for a potential run for the Stanley Cup. Before that, there is still plenty left to complete in the regular season, beginning with a battle against a big division rival.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

NYR (19:52)- Adam Fox (11) (assisted by Chris Kreider (28) & Ryan Lindgren (10))

2nd Period

None

3rd Period

None

My Thoughts

New York was the better team in the first period, and they were rewarded with eight seconds left in the period with a bounce off Brady Skjei's skate. For most of the next 40 minutes, the Hurricanes ran the show. The difference was Igor Shesterkin, who was impossible to beat. If he was on a heater to begin the night, he's officially scorching now. That's the story of this game. Pyotr Kochetkov was just as good tonight. He kept the Hurricanes in the game. I thought Jake Guentzel was good in his debut as he tries to shake off some rust after a month on the shelf. His line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Martin Necas was the Canes' best, though the Kotkaniemi line was good, too. The Canes probably deserved better than the final result would indicate, but that's just how it goes sometimes. 

Honestly, there isn't much to talk about from this game specifically, so I want to take the rest of this to talk about my general thoughts. For the 17th straight game, which is every game since the All-Star Break, the Hurricanes had fewer power plays than their opponent, with New York holding a 2-1 edge. Neither team scored on the power play, but it continues a concerning trend for Carolina. Only three times during that stretch have power plays been even, with the last being on February 25 in Buffalo. Since the break, no team averages fewer power plays per game than Carolina. The Canes' opponents have been on the power play 20 more times than the Canes (57-37) but have scored the same number of goals as them (7). If this was just a handful of games, Canes fans would likely let it slide, but after a game when some blatant penalties were let go in the third period, you can't help but wonder what is going on. I don't think there's a grand conspiracy against the Hurricanes. I just can't explain it.

I know I tend to focus on the Hurricanes, but I wanted to also discuss the growing legend of New York's Matt Rempe. It feels especially appropriate, considering he was just suspended for four games, the first of which was tonight. Rempe has only played ten games in the NHL but has grown into a bit of a hero in New York because of his propensity for wanting to punch his opponents in the face. His first shift in his debut ended with him fighting Matt Martin during the Stadium Series, and his fight with Nicolas Deslauriers was one of the best fights I've ever watched. His suspension came after he elbowed Jonas Sigenthaler in the side of the head trying to deliver a hit on Monday night. He was ejected before being served his punishment before tonight's game. 

Honestly, I love fighting, and while I think Rempe has brought eyes to the sport, I also think he's incredibly reckless to the point that it makes him purely a sideshow. Even worse, he's a dangerous sideshow. There is no defending what he did to Siegenthaler, and his little wave to the bench as he was escorted off the ice was classless. All of this overshadows the fact that 22 seconds earlier, he used his ginormous frame to screen the goalie on Erik Gustafsson's goal. I think the Rangers are better off without him. Can you honestly say that you missed him tonight after the masterful game the Hurricanes and Rangers just played? He's a distraction, and it's only going to get worse once the playoffs come. Hopefully, this suspension opens his eyes a little. I was a little surprised it was four games. I was expecting it to just be two games, but I'm not complaining.

If tonight is any indication, the Rangers aren't better than the Hurricanes. Yes, the Rangers beat the Hurricanes, but at best, these two teams are equals in every way imaginable. Both goalies are capable of stealing a game. Both teams have incredible special teams. If these two meet in the playoffs, I'm expecting another seven-game series, like in 2022. No matter who has home ice, I think the Canes have a good shot at beating the Rangers. The question is going to be whether they can win a road playoff game at Madison Square Garden.

My Three Stars of the Game

I have a running tradition when the Canes are shut out not to award any stars for the game. I was curious and needed to look it up, but the first time I did this was actually a 4-1 loss to Dallas in November of 2021. Then I did it again when they were shut out 6-0 by the Blue Jackets in the "Lafontaine Debut Game," but it was initially done because I was disgusted with how the Hurricanes played one night. 

Tonight, I'm doing the same while acknowledging that they played very well and just didn't get a break. There are plenty of players I would've considered (Kochetkov, Kuznetsov, Fast, Noesen, and more) but to keep the integrity of the tradition, there are no stars tonight. 

Up Next- The next one is equally as tough as the Hurricanes welcome the Panthers back to town. They played an incredible game three weeks ago at PNC Arena. After that, the Canes are hitting the road for three games, stopping in Toronto, Ottawa, and New York.